


Deep Under The Street

by fenfyre (Jace)



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: BDSM, Crimes & Criminals, Levi's Past, M/M, Mentions of Prostitution, Sub!Eren, Undercover Missions, Underground, at least in later chapters, dom!levi, more tags to be added later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-09
Updated: 2015-02-09
Packaged: 2018-03-11 10:12:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3323699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jace/pseuds/fenfyre
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Erwin assigns Levi with retrieving stolen 3DM gear from the black market in the underground, he wants to spit the man in the face and burn his quarters down. Instead Levi begrudingly accepts. Digging up dealers proves to be rather difficult while simultaniously babysitting an excited Jäger boy. What makes it even more difficult is the fact that most of his old contacts can only be found at The Cage. An establishment for people with extraordinary tastes. He will not take Eren there. He will not.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Deep Under The Street

When Erwin had ordered him to his quarters later that evening, Levi had expected a discussion about the oncoming inspection day, new information on the meeting in a few weeks or maybe even a lecture or two about his attitude towards the new recruits. What Levi did certainly not expect, however, was this.  
Erwin had been standing at the window overlooking the training field this whole time. There were still some cadets running laps in what little light remained of the setting sun. Maybe they were being punished or eager enough to put in the additional effort and make up for some of their deficits. Whatever the reason, it could only be for their benefit.  
Erwin's reflection in the glass window wore a deep frown. His hands clasped behind his back, shoulders broad and legs apart he stood strong, proud and it made Levi feel a little uneasy. Erwin was pissed. Something that did not happen very often but whenever it did, he had good reason to.

“I don't care whether the Military Police sells their own equipment off to the black market. It is highly irresponsible and wrong, but not my jurisdiction. They have to solve that kind of corruption within their ranks. What I can not tolerate is when equipment that was especially meant for the Survey Corps disappears.”  
Three crates. Three whole crates of 3D maneuvering gear meant to replace broken pieces and to equip their new recruits had gone missing on the way to their base. An amount that was not to be underestimated and could cause great damage in the wrong hands.

“What are you gonna do about it?” Levi did not have to focus on keeping his voice low. In the case of a majorly pissed off Erwin it was best to approach the issue as rationally as possible. Not that Erwin would ever lash out at him solely out of frustration. He saw a muscle in the man's jaw flex before he turned around and sat in his chair heavily.

“We need the equipment and I will not strain our budget by placing a new order. So we will get back what has been stolen from us.” Surely Erwin had some kind of clue concerning the whereabouts of their lost goods. Otherwise it would be an incredibly tedious search.  
It surprised Levi when Erwin opened one of the drawers at his desk to retrieve a bottle of brandy as well as two glasses. He watched in silence as his commander poured a healthy amount into both of them and slid one across the table for Levi to take. Something was wrong. The long, slow breath Erwin drew settled it. Whatever came next, Levi would not like it. In the least.  
When Erwin spoke, he did it with ease. A sudden, deep calm having replaced the anger from before:  
“The crates were already missing when the ship left Sina. There is a high probability they are in the underground by now.”  
It felt like ice being dumped into his veins. Pumped by his very own heart through his body, slowly freezing him and it was hard not to let it show but for a single, sharp word.

“No.”

Erwin's eyes were kind and unsurprised and so soft Levi wanted to throw something at him as the man reached for his glass and swirled the amber liquid around for a few moments. Precious moments in which Levi could catch his breath and subtly move his fingers as to make sure they were not actually freezing. Then there it was again. Erwin's calm, careful voice.

“Levi. If they are on the blackmarket right now – and they most likely are – you are our best chance at locating – ”

“Fuck you, Erwin. I said no. I won't do it and you can't fucking make me.” The sigh that left Erwin at that was drawn out and low. He took a sip from his glass and savored it, eyes closed, then gestured for Levi to pick up his own glass. It would not do any good and they both knew but Levi could not stop the automatic response to that silent command. He did not drink but simply held the glass with fingers that were still tingling.

“Yes, Levi. I can. I'd simply rather not have to.” Of course. It was just like Erwin to give you the slightest impression to be able to choose.

“I am not going back down there.” His voice was hard and cutting and he meant what he was saying. With every fiber of his body he meant it. Yet he did not get up to leave his commander's office. Did not spit profanities and rage against that sad excuse of a plan with everything he had.  
Instead he stayed firmly seated, kept the glass clutched tightly, an anchor he did not even recognize had been given to him.

“As your friend I don't want to assign this mission to you. I don't want to send you there. I don't want you to do this.” Erwin sounded soothing and so damn honest it almost made Levi flinch. He did not want to hear this. This compassion and empathy that did not suit the stoic commander at all. He did not want to hear that Erwin _underst_ _ood_ and _fe_ _lt_ _with him_ because he clearly could not. Otherwise he would never ask this of Levi.  
“As your commander however I have to think about who is most capable of finishing this task. You don't want to hear any of this, I'm well aware. But you are the most likely to succeed. You know the finer nuances of the underground as well as the dealers. You got your hands on our gear once already and I'm positive you can do it again.”

“That was years ago. The contacts I had might all be dead by now.” The blind rage and fear and utter despair that had overcome him at the first hint of having to go back again had eased up. Not much but enough for him to find his voice of reason again. Maybe Erwin would listen to that if not to bland and pointless refusal.

“Even if they are. Your experience excels every other possible candidate's. You know how to navigate the terrain, how to blend into the crowd. Also where to find new contacts if your old ones are not available anymore.” He was right. Erwin was right and Levi hated that fact with a passion he seldom felt. Everything he'd said was true, from being able to make Levi agree to him being the best they had for the job. There was nothing he could say to keep this from happening.  
“I don't want to assign this mission to you without your consent. I know you won't agree to this on your own, basically you don't have much of choice. But try to understand that I don't have much of choice either.”

The rage churning in his gut was intense enough to make him feel physically sick. He could almost smell the stink of sewer again, the faint traces of blood and disease in the air. Within seconds the memory was strong enough to drown out the rather pleasant smell of beeswax candles, gun oil and parchment of Erwin's office. He would go back. To the underground. Swallowed whole. Again.  
For a moment Levi's stomach contracted violently and he felt like throwing up all over the polished desk. Then the rage coiled tight and disintegrated with a dull throb. He was still pissed and irritated and yes, scared. But he no longer felt like kicking and screaming. Instead he took a gulp of brandy and let it burn all the way down to the hole inside him.

“I fucking hate you for this. Dragging me out of that shithole and now throwing me back in.” His voice was too rough even to his own ears. It was not just the burn of the alcohol.  
When Levi looked up there was disbelief in Erwin's eyes, still so wide and kind.

“I am not throwing you back anywhere, Levi.” he even sounded rueful, complicated. Almost exasperated. But Levi was not ready to acknowledge that whole empathy deal and thus could not do anything but scoff and swallow another mouthful of brandy.  
“I mean it. I will not let you go there alone. We will decide who is going to accompany you in a second. If you are not successful within a week I will get you out of there myself. I will –”

“So you're not coming with. Fucking perfect.” Erwin sighed again, deeply. It was not as calculated and controlled as before.

“I'm needed here. I am sorry.” Something about the way he said that, intoned the curt apology, soothed an ache in Levi. It reminded him of a truth.  
Erwin knew what was best for his troops, for this mission and for Levi. He knew that going down there with him would be best. For the both of them. Erwin would go with him if he had the chance and was truly, deeply sorry that he could not. All of them, this whole division, was only still alive and breathing because they trusted Erwin's judgment every day anew. All Levi had to do was just that.

Maybe he would regret this. Maybe something would go terribly wrong and he would be stuck there again, forever. But he had to trust Erwin to not let this happen. Erwin would not, after all. If not for their friendship then for the simple fact that their commander would never allow humanity's strongest to rot away in a sewer.  
Levi threw his head back to drown the rest of his drink, then set the empty glass down with a loud thunk. This was bad and he would hate every second of it.

“I want my squad with me.” Erwin nodded and pulled open another drawer to retrieve a stack of documents.

“I understand. However I can only give you four passes. This operation needs to be undercover and a group this large might attract attention.” The papers he slid over the table were standard forms that granted passage into the underground and back to the surface within a certain time frame. Levi picked them up and shuffled through them. The first one was already filled out and signed for him, the others still blank for whomever he would decide to take with him.  
No, only two were still blank, the last one...

“What the fuck, Erwin?” This had to be some kind of sick joke. There was no way in hell he would take that brat down there.

“Eren will be part of this mission.” Except Erwin did not look like he was joking. At all. “The council is just waiting for an opportunity to take him away from us. If they saw you leaving him unwatched for a week, he'd be trussed up in chains and locked in one of their dungeons before you returned.”  
Levi took a minute to study the boy's papers. There was basic information on him as well as the duration and some made up reason for his stay. His rank was not high enough for him to enter on his own so Levi was listed as his guardian. Meaning Eren would not get out again without him.

“You're shitting me. I can't take responsibility for him down there. I got a job to do and can't babysit him while contacting informants.” He threw the papers back onto the desk as if to prove his point. “Just let him stay here, the council doesn't have to know I'm gone.”

“They do. They would know minutes after you passed the gate.” Yes. Yes of course they would! The council had their eyes and ears everywhere, especially on the gate into the underground. They would never in a million years miss humanity's strongest descending.  
“Besides, they already approved yours and Eren's passes. As well as the two additional ones. The mission starts in two days and I will not make any more changes.” Right. It was just like Erwin to give you the slightest impression to be able to choose, after all. Levi could not even be mad anymore.

“So what happens if he turns? Do I take him down?” That was an important question. Eren was not just any kind of cadet Levi had to keep from doing something incredibly stupid. He was a shifter Levi had to keep from causing chaos and panic in the underground.

“He won't.” Erwin's word was not any kind of guarantee. But if Levi had to trust him with everything else about this mission, he could as well trust him with Eren. That did not mean he liked it. Not in the least. It just meant that maybe he would be able to sleep a few minutes longer this night.

“I will take Petra and Gunther. They're the most resourceful in this scenario.” His commander nodded, pleased, and gestured towards ink and pen then watched in silence as Levi filled out the remaining forms. Slowly the tension bled out of the room. The flicker of candles set a warm, calm atmosphere instead. As soon as Levi was finished he slid the parchment back over the desk for Erwin to sign.

“So what will you do first?” Not only the atmosphere had changed but Erwin's tone, too. Obviously it was a private conversation now, nothing left of the neutral, detached business talk they had just finished.

“Try to find my old informants and send Petra and Gunther to pick up some rumors. There's always some truth to these.” Erwin hummed and retrieved wax as well as a seal stamp and set to sealing each pass with practiced movements.

“Find your old informants how exactly?” So this was, what he wanted to get at. That would explain the casual tone and demonstrative composure.

“I will only go to The Cage if all else fails. There are lots of other possibilities.”

Over the years Levi had come to trust Erwin deeply. Deep enough to follow him blindly into battle but also deep enough to disclose information he had once sworn he never would. One night after a particularly horrible expedition they had shared a bottle of old Scotch and had talked about their respective pasts.  
Erwin about the loss and sacrifice of a military career, Levi about the underground. When the bottle had been almost empty they came to talk about The Cage.

An establishment in the upper parts of the underground for people with very particular interests and tastes. Famous enough for well-known citizens from Sina to show up now and then to cater their most secret needs. The owner handled these cases with admirable discretion.  
Most of the time however it was filled with local people who sought to forget their miserable lives. A venue for all the bigger fish involved in any kind of business, people who did and knew things nobody talked about.  
Among them Karl Hochfeldt, a well-known informant who frequented The Cage and had a taste for boys kneeling at his feet, serving and servicing him for everyone to see. There was nothing concerning the black market that happened without him knowing and Levi had used that exceptional taste of his to get what he wanted. Eventually Hochfeldt had led him to the sets of 3DM gear Levi had learned maneuvering with.

Of course Erwin did not know that, he still had no idea where Levi and his group had gotten their gear. What he did know after that horrible expedition were some of the things Levi had done to get information and sometimes money.  
The Cage was not a brothel. There were no services provided, merely rooms and equipment. The people to use these with were to be brought or found there. Consent was promoted and cared deeply about. But it was still the underground and if a boy sometimes decided to serve a master for a hefty fee or a pretty girl whipped a noble into oblivion in exchange for some royal secrets then so be it.

“But if you do”, Erwin's words were slow and gentle. He still seemed to cling to the belief that Levi had been forced one way or the other to participate in these actions. That could actually not be further from the truth. It had been just that he could as well use the guy for his own advantage if they were already at it. But somehow he felt like his commander did not necessarily need to know that.  
“I don't want you to go alone. Take one of them with you to pretend to be your sub. So no one else tries to take you on and you can concentrate on finding Hochfeldt or anyone else.” Levi doubted that was the sole reason Erwin ordered – no advised, that had not been an order – him to not go alone. But it was a sound one. Besides it might be easier to get something out of Karl if they met at eye level and could talk as two doms. Not a dom and his former sub. Because Levi would certainly not fall back to his old way of getting information from this man. It was a good idea to take asub with him if he really had to rely on The Cage but...

“I can't order Petra or Gunther to even pretend to sub for me. I need them respecting me.”

“Why not Eren?” Levi scoffed and for a second thought of it as a joke. But Erwin, again, did not look like he was joking.

“Yeah, why not take a 15-year-old to The Cage and let him watch a damn live whipping. Are you fucking serious?”  
Erwin was finished sealing the documents and put them to the side. His chair made a soft creaking noise as he leaned back, eyes observant and gaze concentrated on Levi.

“I am being practical. You should indeed not choose members of your squad. They should not know as much about your past or personal life. Their judgment might be actually impaired and they need to keep their trust in you. Also you should not go alone. For safety reasons as well as tactical ones. Which leaves Eren.”

“Because it's so much better if _Eren_ knows about my past and personal life.” That idea was bullshit. Not because of Levi's reputation or Eren's age or innocence. He would make a more believable sub than Petra or Gunther and a real pretty one at that. Sure to throw any possible informant off for a few precious seconds. He would listen to every command, no matter if he did not understand what it was about, he was just that perfect.  
But it was Levi's responsibility to get him out of there again, preferably unharmed and not traumatized. The Cage would not help with that. It was not a particularly dangerous place. It could do some harm if one was not accustomed to the etiquette, though.He simply could not be bothered with preparing Eren for any of that.

“The boy adores you. While I understand your teammates hold deep respect for you as well, there is a level of devotion Eren expresses that they don't. There is little you could do to lessen that admiration. Taking him to a shady location for a secret undercover mission is not one of them. I expect it will excite him more than anything. He will listen to your every command and not disclose information about the operation or you, not even to his closest friends.”  
The things he had to trust Erwin with during this mission just kept piling up and Levi was not in the mood to agree to him anymore. What he said made sense, of course, when did it ever not? But he had been forced into enough for one evening.

“I'll think about it.” With that he stood and grabbed the four passes. He wanted to turn and leave, had practically been dismissed since Erwin had started to talk about The Cage but Erwin would not let him escape just yet.

“Do I have to order you to not go alone?”

“Goddammit Erwin!” Levi could not keep the irritation that was growing within him again out of his voice. Did not even try, to be honest. There was a line. Somewhere between that fucked up mix of military protocol, trust and care that was their friendship there was a line and Erwin was so close to crossing it that it was not even funny anymore. Levi threw a cold glare over his shoulder, patience worn thin by absurd request after request.  
“I said I'll fucking think about it so just piss off, will you?”

Under any other circumstances Erwin would have called him back immediately and assigned some unwanted duty to him for disrespecting his commanding officer. But Erwin was fully aware how much he had asked of Levi just this evening alone. Knew very well how the corporal resented the mission assigned to him.  
Levi reveled in the opportunity to throw the door closed with a bang that was surely heard several floors down.

 


End file.
